Nega-Mages
Nega-Mages is the 8th part of Return to the Negaverse. Taking place in the Newborn Era, it explores the lives of Nega-Sector MG, introducing their mysterious new teammate. Summary Chapter 1: The Finding A few months after the Voyage began, the DNK hosted a graduation ceremony on Newbase. “I am proud to introduce,” Sicnarf began, “the DNK’s first ever spacebender, Ydnew Llevram!” Letting her dark-blue hair flow, her light-blue eyes narrowed with pride, Ydnew waved at the applauding operatives. She wore a cerulean top with flower-petal edges and a sky-blue bow, white Capri shorts, and blue sneakers. “Ydnew’s talent with spacebending allowed her to pass training with flying colors! Our Supreme Leader would be proud. So, Ydnew, have you decided on a sector?” “Actually, I’m not joining any of these sectors. I’m going to be making my own sector.” “We’re always welcome to new teams. Does that mean you’ll be recruiting?” “The thing is, I think most DNK sectors have a certain theme that they follow, and I’ve decided what my theme should be: I want to recruit ‘problem children.’” “There’s a great many of those in our organization alone.” “That’s why I wanna go out and find my own.” Ydnew did research and learned of several kids who were infamous in their own towns. At Horizon Alley Library, all the noisy customers had been forced out by hordes of Dream Spirits, all so one customer can enjoy the library in peace and quiet. Police tried to fight the spirits, only to be overpowered. When Ydnew arrived at the scene, she viewed through a library window and warped inside. The boy was Oemor Tlobnoc. He was a skinny, nice-looking boy with smooth purple hair, blue eyes behind glasses, and a curious, innocent smile that was engaged to a book. He wore a green T-shirt with ‘Reading Raincloud’ written around a cloud symbol, orange shorts, and black shoes. He was a head shorter than Ydnew. “Huh? Where’d you come from?” “So, you’re the guy causing the ruckus outside? What makes you so special?” “Uh, nothing really. I just don’t like how noisy libraries are. I like to enjoy my books in peace. Of course, my home is no better, so my only option is to kick everybody out.” “Then you’re the one in charge of those Dream Spirits?” “Yep! The more books I read, the more my Dream World gets filled with so many Creations. I just get so immersed, you know? And I can use my psychicbending to bring them to reality. You’re free to read, too, if you want, but if you make too much noise or try to attack me, I’ll have to sic them on you.” “Yeah, good luck with that. But here’s the thing: I’m a DNK operative and I’m looking for recruits. Reading is fun and all, but have you ever wanted to make your own stories? LIVE your own stories?” “Like… what you guys do? Thanks, but I wouldn’t be right for that responsibility.” “Why not? I mean, a guy who can summon Imaginaries on a whim seems pretty handy to have. If you’re giving the cops this much trouble, imagine how much trouble the baddies will have. Heck, when we build our treehouse, we’ll make your room a soundproof library.” “That’s cool, but I still don’t think world-saving is my speed.” “Well, ya know ya can’t keep hanging out here all the time, right? Sooner or later, they’re gonna send stronger people to plough through your spirits and you’ll be busted.” “Yeah? Like who?” Ydnew blasted the Dream Spirits with Starbursts, blew them up with Space Blocks, and minimized a few before crushing them. “MOVE IN, BOYS, MOVE IN!” yelled the captain as the cops swarmed in. “AAAAH!” Oemor panicked. “WHAT’VE YOU DONE?!” “Join the DNK and we’ll grant you protection.” Ydnew smirked. “You…You blackmailing-!” “You joining or what?!” “FINE, I’ll join, just don’t let them arrest me!” “Finally! Now let’s go.” Ydnew grabbed Oemor and warped. Their next destination was the town of Aeroville, where Ydnew learned of the neighborhood children being terrorized by a darknessbending bully. Ydnew and Oemor visited the town’s school. Despite that it was recess, the children refused to come outside while the bully lurked the playground. His name was Revilo Nosro, with messy light-brown hair and cold blue eyes. He wore a light-brown sweater with tears, gray thin pants, and plain brown shoes with no laces. The moment he saw the two visitors approaching, he asked, “Whaddyou want?” flaring his dark aura. “You must be the local bully we’ve heard about.” Ydnew replied. “What’s your problem?” “What’s it to you?” “Just curious, what’s wrong with that?!” “Then go ask my fucking mom. She’s the one with all the problems, can’t say anything without yelling, can’t go a day without giving me shit. Just a heads up, it’s MY fault we live in a damn trailer, it’s MY fault that I was born…” “Yeah, I know the feeling, buddy. My dad can be a real dick sometimes. But listen, you clearly don’t like it here, ya? How do ya feel about joining the DNK?” “Why the hell should I?” “Well, you can live in our treehouse instead of your crummy trailer. Plus, you know you ain’t the only kid with a shitty mom, right? We beat up shitty adults for a living. And with your darknessbending, we’d be able to look for all kinds of shitty parents. Beat the crap outta them. Whaddya say to that?” “…Y’know what, why not? She won’t even fuckin’ miss me.” “I’m not sure about this guy…” Oemor said squeamishly. “GOT A PROBLEM WITH ME?!” “YIPE! No!” Oemor cowered behind Ydnew. Ydnew’s favorite restaurant was called “Ydnew’s.” It existed long before her birth, of course, and was among the most luxurious restaurant chains in the world. However, Ydnew learned one of the restaurants was suffering a serious rat problem. Apparently, the chefs kept getting beaten by a single rat, leaving them as bruised messes as it stole their food. Oemor summoned a Dream Spirit called Himiko, which had a female body in a white gown and satellite head (she’s from Persona 4). Himiko spied on the restaurant until it was attacked by the rat in question, and she traced the rat’s signature back to its hideout as it carried a sack of food. “EAT UP, everyone!” proclaimed the muscular rat as he showered his sewer family with food. His name was Pilihp Ylekalb. However, the rats gasped and scampered away when three kids dropped into their hideout, crushing some of their tiny tables. “WAAAH! Humans?!” gasped Lihp. “What’re you doing here?!” “Whoa, he talks?!” Oemor exclaimed. “We’re DNK operatives. Or at least, I am.” Ydnew introduced. “So, you’re the rat that’s been robbing from Ydnew’s.” “Every time my family tries to ask for food, they always kick us out or try to poison us! I trained for the sole purpose of providing for my family. I may be young, but I’m the strongest rat around! A couple humans like you are nothing!” “Look, shorty, we ain’t here to pick a fight with you. I’m trying to build a team, and after hearing what you can do, I kinda dig it. Not only would your size be great for spying, but you seem like you can handle your own, too.” “Why the heck would you want a rat in your team? Even if I wanted to, I got a family to care for.” “The DNK has all kinds of races, a talking, super-strong rat would fit in just great. Plus, we can make a room for all you guys. Shouldn’t take that much space, and we’d share some of our rations with you all.” “We’re seriously gonna have a bunch of rats in our treehouse?!” Revilo asked. “What’s your problem?” Lihp asked. “Don’t mind him.” Ydnew said. “So, whaddya say? Wouldn’t it be better to work for your food instead of always stealing it?” “Hmm… alright, I’ll give it a go. Guess what, everybody, we’re officially moving!” “If any of you take my food, I’ll CRUSH YOU ALL!” Revilo’s darkness flared. The rats cried and scattered around the sewer. “Dammit, Revilo!” Ydnew yelled. After re-gathering Lihp’s family and having him signed up for Arctic Training, Ydnew said they were still one member short of a decent-sized sector. However, as if fate would have it, she learned that several other sectors were being attacked by “some kind of astronaut sumo girl.” They flew to Sector -L, finding a small rocket-shaped ship crashed in the treehouse. They saw that Ikuyim and Ydolem had already beaten up and restrained the invader. Her name was Ikik Akamay, a somewhat chubby Japanese girl with brown hair, a red head bow, black eyes, and an astronaut jumpsuit. “Grrrr! Damn you, DNK! I demand you tell me what you did to the moon!” “The moon?” Ydolem asked. “According to our Positive friends, the moons were destroyed in the Apocalypse.” “Destroyed?! Apocalypse?! GRAAAAH! I was going to be the youngest astronaut to walk on the moon! How could you take it away from me?!” “Seriously? Astronaut?” Ydnew asked in confusion. “What’s so great about that? The DNK were based on the moon and fly through space on a daily basis.” “Actually,” Ikuyim began with a knowing smile, “astronauts nowadays use new space-travel technology to fully explore the grander universe! Asteroids, moons, planetoids, space holds as many wonders as the sea! Even the moon holds wonders the DNK don’t even know about.” “And I wanted to explore the moon like a true astronaut.” Ikik cried. “But now it’s gone… Grrrrrr, GIVE IT BACK!” Ikik broke out of Ikuyim’s crystal prison, pounding her fists through holes in space as they popped out around the operatives to attack them. “Whoa! You’re a spacebender?!” Ydnew exclaimed. “Spaceman Taijutsu! It’s a martial art I developed while exploring above the atmosphere! I bonded with the Space Chi and now I can do this, baby!” “Alright, hold still a second!” Ydnew warped her own arms through portals to grab Ikik’s arms. “I’m sorry about what happened, but there’s still plenty of space out there. If you join the DNK, we’ll take you on all kinds of out-of-this-world adventures! And when that happens, you can serve as our navigator. A prodigy astronaut like you must know a lot about exploring the stars, so we’ll need that.” “Hmmm…” Ikik cast them a glare. “I got one question… how much food do you got?” “Enough to feed a swarm of rats.” Revilo shrugged. “Then I’m in!!” her eyes sparkled. Their treehouse was constructed, the team was built, and Nega-Sector MG was complete. They went on several missions together up until the Under Army incident, harnessing their own skills and growing stronger and closer. Following the Victory Party after the Under Army battles, Nega-MG returned to their treehouse with exhausted, but relaxed faces. “Hey. Sniff-sniff.” Lihp spoke, sniffing the air. “Do you guys… smell anything weird?” “Ikik, what did you eat?” Revilo asked. “What does that mean?!” “No, I don’t mean that. I smell… something poison, coming from up the halls. …It smells like… someone else is here.” The team kept their guards raised, following Liph’s nose through the treehouse. He stopped before the room where the scent originated. The brave little rat cracked open the door and jumped in first, as if ready to take the first hit from their mysterious foe. The others cracked open the door further, peeking their heads in. “Don’t be afraid to show yourselves in, this is your treehouse, right?” said a girl’s voice in the darkness. “Who’s in there?!” Ydnew asked. “What’re you doing in our treehouse?!” “It’s my treehouse, too, now.” A chair twisted around. A short girl had her feet propped on the armrest, pretending to smoke a candycane. Her brown hair was in a ponytail, sunglasses covered her eyes, and she wore a brown tuxedo and pants with white dress-shoes. She tilted up her sunglasses to reveal… another pair of sunglasses. “The name’s Glasses Girl. That’s the only name you need to know for now. I’m your new teammate. You were kinda busy, so I guess you didn’t hear about me.” “Oh…hi, Glasses Girl.” the leader greeted with confusion. “Yeah. Anyways, I’m the financial benefactor for this team. It costs a lot to feed rats, doesn’t it?” “Damn right.” Revilo hissed at Lihp, who hid behind Ikik’s shoe. “So, you’re a rich girl?” Oemor asked. “Don’t ask questions. Just leave the money to me. But in return… I gotta ask you to keep me a secret.” “A secret? Why?” Ydnew asked. “Like I said… don’t ask questions.” Chapter 2: The Labors of Oemor On an average afternoon, Oemor was relaxing on his recliner chair in the living room. His hands were folded under his head, while he used psychic to hold an open book above him. When he finished a page, his psychic would turn the page. His legs wore comfy gray socks as one crossed over the other, and he would shift position every few seconds to ensure his muscles were consistently relaxed. The only other sound was of Revilo playing a violent videogame, but Oemor wore earmuffs to soften the sound. “Oemor, have you seen my rocket keys anywhere?” Ikik asked. “No, I’ve been here all day.” “Could you help me look for them?” “Here.” Oemor summoned a Detector Dog, a robot dog with a tracking pad on its back. Ikik followed as it crawled around in search of the keys. “Gah, dammit!” Revilo cursed. “Damn Xedni hacked in a second player. Yo, Oemor, I need someone to back me up!” “Here.” Oemor summoned a Game Bro, a very nerdy Dream Spirit who swiped the other controller and played with the wide grin of a hardcore gamer. Ydnew had just walked in, cocking a brow at the two Imaginaries before approaching Oemor. “Hey, Oemor… wanna go shopping with me? Glasses Girl wants coffee cream, and we are short of groceries.” “I know the perfect guy!” Oemor said as he summoned a muscular, black, alien monster. “I AM WULFRIC. I LOVE GROCERIES!” Ydnew’s eyes widened at the sight of him, but she shook to her senses. “Oemor, you’ve been on that chair all day, your body’s probably stiff. Don’t you wanna take a nice walk?” “But I’m totally hooked on this book. If I keep at it, I should be done in two hours.” Ydnew rolled her eyes and warped the book. “HEY! Where’d you put it?!” “Oemor, every time we go on a traveling mission, you always slog behind and make your Imaginaries carry you. You almost never get off your butt and work!” “Yeah, and what about Glasses Girl?! She hasn’t come out of her room for the whole two weeks she’s been here! We had a mission last Saturday and she didn’t come!” “Nerehc has yet to tell me the details about her, but either way, you’ve been in this sector a lot longer than she has and you’re still the same lazy butt.” “Lazy butt?! I’m about as lazy as Revilo over there! When we’re not on missions, what’s wrong with relaxing?! Excuse me if I’m not super strong, but all this reading is resulting in more Dream Spirits I can summon at once, not to mention more varieties! It’s as much training as you sparring with Ikik!” “Yeah, well I’m sick of you being carried in luxury while we and your spirits do all the legwork! So, you ain’t getting your books back until you go shopping with me. Among a list of other chores I have.” “B…Books? Plural??” “Uhhhh-huh.” Ydnew confirmed with a smirk. With a burst of stamina, Oemor raced to his room. “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” His entire library was barren, the shelves completely void. “Yep. I hid all of your books in a Pocket Dimension that only I can open. And you ain’t getting them back until you complete my list.” “Fine, that’s the game you wanna play, huh?” Oemor asked with a furious glare. On a whim, the psychic summoned three Pharaoh Cobras, the giant snakes with pharaoh crowns hissing at his leader. “All I have to do is knock you out and that sub-dimension should open right up-” “Aaaaaand CHI-BLOCKED!” Lihp leapt up and CUFFED a chi-blocking wristband on Oemor’s right arm. The cobras immediately poofed back to Dream World. “WHAT THE-?! Lihp, you traitor!” “Yeah, I got him in on this.” Ydnew smirked. “And for trying to attack your leader, I think you deserve extra work!” “This isn’t fair! You can’t force me to—OW!” Ydnew punched his gut. “The hell I can’t. I’m your leader and I’m giving you orders.” “This isn’t how you-!” Ydnew kicked his right leg, Oemor falling on his front. “This is the last time I’ll say it: do my chores or no more reading for you.” “Grrrrr…” Oemor resisted the urge to jump up and punch her, knowing she would just keep knocking him down. “Fine. Let’s go to the stupid store.” Oemor was asked to push the cart as Ydnew led them all around the store, tossing a mountain of items inside. The cart grew heavier and harder to push, making it difficult to steer or see around. Oemor bumped the cart into shelves a few times, in which Ydnew ordered Oemor to pick everything up. When they returned to the treehouse, Oemor was asked to put everything away himself, not allowed help from any of their teammates. Oemor was then asked to scrub the treehouse top to bottom. He had to get down and wash under the refrigerator, couch, everyone’s beds, and empty the cabinets to wash inside those. This was followed with washing the toilets and doing everyone’s laundry, but because Ikik’s space suit couldn’t be put in a washer, he had to wash that by hand. He polished everyone’s weathered shoes and worked to patch up any tears, and he did the same with their socks or other clothes. “Huff…huff…” It was a miracle when Ydnew finally allowed him a break, the boy laying dead on the floor. “Okay, Ydnew, I get it. I’ll do more work and exercise from now on. Can I please have my books back?” “Oh, fine.” Ydnew sighed. With a snap of the fingers, a pile of books fell onto and buried Oemor. “You know where they go, right? Organize them yourself.” With an exhausted sigh, Oemor set about placing the books back on his shelves. By the time he was finished, he was too tired to read any more, so he fell on his bed to take a nap. In his dreams, Oemor found himself in the fairytale of Waking Ugly, assuming the protagonist’s role as he wore rags and was forced to scrub the floors of the enormous castle. The ugly maid would slave away in this castle for 16 years before making her grand escape to the cottage where her family lived. Remembering this tale, Oemor opened the tile in the floor with a secret ladder, climbing down to make his escape, only to land in a luxurious dress belonging to Allerednic. Her situation was the exact opposite: Oemor had servants catering to his every need, until they lost all of their money and had to work as servants themselves. In the midst of his servitude, Oemor developed a terrible illness and became bedridden, just like the tale of Sun Black. The titular protagonist would spend the whole story sick and in bed, a never-ending mental struggle to force herself to stay alive. Fortunately, an apple was brought to his bedside: it appeared toxic and sickening, but when Oemor took a bite, his health was restored. “Huh?!” he gasped, the taste of the apple returning him to reality. He mentally cursed himself, as well as Ydnew. His body was still remembering today’s workload and wouldn’t let him rest even in sleep. In truth, Oemor had always admired the hard work all those protagonists put forth. Unlike himself, they had always had the drive to complete their goals, while Oemor always identified as an average boy who could never leave any mark on the world. It’s not like most people were any different. There were millions of people who would rather read stories instead of live them, as well as writers who would never live their own stories. “Yo.” Ydnew knocked on his door. “It’s time for you to make us dinner. After this, I’ll unlock that chi-band.” “Sigh…” Oemor pushed himself up and began to walk out. “Oemor, how come you like reading, anyway?” “Why not? I like the stories and I like to see how the heroes overcome challenges.” “I would figure you like being in the DNK because of that. You get to have your own adventures and overcome your own challenges. But if people started writing about us, they would just make you seem like the scrawny sidekick that always needs a ride.” “My entire specialty is summoning Dream Spirits to help us! If you don’t like that, why’d you ask me to join in the first place?!” “Because you need to look the part. All over the universe, there’s billions of non-operatives who get to relax in their homes and only read or hear about what we do, never knowing a thing about our hard work. If they saw how you act, they would get a bad impression about all of us! Frankly, if I never came along, you would just be another average Joe who wouldn’t give our work a second thought.” “Before you came, I’ve been reading stories about the DNK, and I always thought they were cool! But… I never considered joining for myself. I guess I only thought of it like the fictional stories I read. So… maybe you’re right. Honestly, Ydnew, I’ve always thought you guys were cool. You’re so strong and talented, but I was still perfectly fine with the fact I was a weakling. But I guess that isn’t enough.” “Oemor, I don’t mind that you’re not strong on your own, but even the weak operatives don’t lounge around all the time. They know how to use their arms or legs.” “Yeah, I get it, okay? I’ll try to work more from now on.” Ydnew cracked a smile. “You’re sounding like a protagonist already.” “Eh…heh heh heh.” Oemor blushed. After Oemor finished making dinner, Ydnew unlocked his chi-block as promised. It felt nice to stretch his psychicbending again, and somehow, he felt a stronger bond with it than ever. Chapter 3: A Small World After All (Play “Moon Kingdom” from Mario Odyssey!) Nega-MG’s ship resembled a miniature rocket, with Ikik as the pilot. They were currently flying to the moon, not to visit Moonbase, but rather, they made landing on a field opposite of the base. The teammates stepped off the ship, wearing air helmets, while only Ikik herself stuck to her suit. The young astronaut gazed upon the moon with adoration. All its vast, void whiteness was so beautiful. The Earth loomed in the starry heavens as though it were a moon itself. “At long last… moon sweet moon!” She took a big whiff through her nose. “What are you sniffing for, you’re only smelling your own sweaty suit.” Revilo remarked. “I just washed it.” Oemor reminded. “That’s just it.” Ikik smiled in bliss. “I smell… nothing. No trees… no dirt… no fumes… just pure, airless space.” “Whatever floats your boat.” Lihp replied, wearing his own little helmet. Ikik raised her foot and stomped the white soil with a proud smirk. She viewed the resulted shoeprint. “The first being to step on the moon was a gorilla from some hi-tech jungle. But then the DNK started setting up shop, so landing on the moon just felt like a trivial thing. I feel like not many people understand the beauty of walking on such foreign soil. They fail to see the beauty in such a common thing!” Ikik began to jump and flip around, feeling as light as a feather, but very nimble and flexible. “You just like it here because you don’t feel fat.” Revilo remarked. “I kinda get where she’s coming from.” Oemor said as they began exploring. “In a sci-fi series, spaceships are run-of-the-mill, but if you discovered a spaceship in a medieval fantasy story, it would be totally mind-blowing. Nowadays, the DNK just take the moon for granted, but there used to be a time when people aspired just to get here.” “Especially when the moon just went missing for three years.” Ikik reminded. “And speaking of missing… Glasses Girl, hurry up!” They turned to the ship as their sixth teammate stepped out, double-sunglasses under her helmet. “Sigh…” “Glasses, I don’t know what your story is, but if you’re going to be a member of this team, you can’t stay locked in your room all the time.” “My role in this team is to provide money, not accompany you on missions.” “Yeah, well you’re going to this time! We’re going on an exploration mission on the moon, and Ikik’s gonna be our leader. There’ll be no one up there but us, so you don’t have to worry about being in public. So, get ready to pack up, that’s an order.” Glasses Girl begrudgingly followed them as the others (except Revilo) happily jumped around the low gravity. Lihp could barely run as each little leap had him airborne for two seconds. “Hey, Ydnew, wanna see how strong I am?!” Oemor asked. “Go for it, Scrawny.” She smirked. Oemor bent down, grabbed her lower leg in one hand, and lifted her effortlessly. “Ha ha! I can lift you with just one hand!” Ydnew willed the gravity to increase and flattened him under her feet. “Don’t get crushed by the weight of your own arrogance~” “Say, Ydnew, that reminds me,” Ikik began, twirling tippy-toes on the tip of a pointed boulder, “if you’re a spacebender, you must’ve trained up here, right?” “Yeah, my dad took me up to space on our own ship so I could train. Never really landed on the moon, though.” They spent about half an hour running around the moonscape. Ikik seemed to study the formation of almost every rock, remarking every texture and feeling every patch of sand. “Whoa! This sand feels softer than the other patches!” She began to dig up. “I wonder if we’ll find any buried treasure??” “Man, would you just shut up already?!” Revilo shouted. “Why are you getting so excited over this dumb rock?! There is NOTHING here! NOTHING interesting besides our Moonbase!” “Geez, you’re a spoilsport today.” Lihp said. “I coincide with his outlook.” Glasses replied. “The moon holds no value to me.” “Excuse me if I’m sick of walking around a big, dead rock!” Revilo raised his arms in exasperation, spinning and walking aimlessly up a hill. “I coulda been home, playing my games, something that actually REQUIRES my attention! I could be walking around here blind and I would never find—wh-whoa-WHOOOOAAAA!” He fell off a ledge. “REVILO!” the group screamed. Oemor bolted up, his speed enhanced thanks to the low-G. Once atop the hill, he aimed his arms down and caught Revilo in psychic, before he could fall too far into the endless chasm. “W…What the… GUYS, take a look at this!” The others ran up by his side… and gaped. They stood above a vast crater, 10 miles wide, and in the very center of it stood a platform with a skyscraper, resembling the Empire State Building. “A…A building?!” Ydnew exclaimed. “Unbelievable!” Ikik beamed. “Revilo, I think you just discovered some kind of ruin!” “Oh, whoop-de-doo! Just pull me up already!” Oemor rolled his eyes at his one-track mind and levitated him back to their ledge. “I wonder if it’s really ancient though. For all we know, it was built recently.” “Let’s go find out for ourselves!” Ikik said. “Oemor, summon a spirit that can fly us over!” “Oh, come on!” Revilo complained. “We spent forever walking around nothing, now we’re gonna waste even more time walking around a dumb building?!” “You were JUST complaining that there was nothing here!” Ydnew argued. “What the hell do you want?!” “I want to go home!” “Fine, Whiny.” Ikik sighed. “We’ll just explore the outside of the building, we won’t go in. That make you happy?” “Murgh…” “Wait, before we do,” Oemor began, grabbing his phone, “I gotta get a picture! Ydnew, use your spacebending to increase my muscles!” “You mean like this?” Ydnew focused her chi on his chest and inflated both breasts. “AAAAAH! Not like that! Come on, please?” “Fine, fine.” Ydnew shrunk his breasts back to normal, then expanded the muscles of his arms. Oemor smirked and flexed his left muscle, making sure it was positioned just below the tower in the background. With that, Ydnew snapped the perspective picture. “Hee hee! Hello, new profile pic!” Oemor summoned a Lady Carrier, a giant ladybug that carried them like a platform, flapping across the vast chasm before landing on the platform around the tower. The group was taken aback by its amazing size. “Incredible… Who do you think could’ve built it?” Lihp asked. “Regardless, this building has clearly lost its purpose.” Glasses observed. “It’s clearly ancient and abandoned.” “It doesn’t matter how ancient something is,” Ikik remarked, “because if we’re just discovering it, it’s still new! Say, guys, how ’bout we have a race?” “A race where?” Ydnew asked. “Around the building! We’ll start at the front door and make a full lap around!” “Sounds good to me!” Four of the teammates excitedly lined up at the entrance. “Hurry up, you two!” Ikik yelled to Revilo and Glasses. “This is so dumb…” Revilo mumbled, the two lazily joining the line. “On your mark… get set… GO!” The team set off! Ikik’s speed was unparalleled compared to her friends. On Earth, her weight weighed her down, but on the moon, her legs moved with much nimbleness, easily outpacing Ydnew, Oemor, Lihp… and Revilo and Glasses. The two were lazily walking forward, showing no interest in the activity. “This is some team we’ve got.” Glasses said. “Yeah, I hate it when she makes us go on these missions. Like, they’re not even real missions, it’s just walking around doing nothing! I don’t care about having a dumb adventure!” “I never cared for such activities either. Though, I suspected it was a risk I would have to make when I joined a sector.” “So, why did you join the DNK, anyway?” “That’s confidential.” “Ugh! I really don’t get you, but whatever.” “Huff, huff, huff, I WIN!” Ikik cheered, crossing the “finish.” “Ikik Akamay is Master of the Moon! …” She looked ahead, seeing Revilo and Glasses only now going around the corner. She ran to catch up with them. “Yo, Revilo, Glasses, why you so slow?? I can make five more laps if I want!” “We aren’t even playing, Fatty.” Revilo stated. “Just finish your laps so we can go.” “For the record, I want onion casserole tonight.” Glasses mentioned. Ikik glared at the two. She ran around and blocked their path. “You know what, I don’t appreciate how you two have been acting this whole trip! This is the moon! It’s been my dream to come here since I was little, and I was so happy to share it with my friends, but you two are completely ruining it! All you do,” she pointed at Revilo, “is complain about your life, and all you do,” then to Glasses, “is stay locked in your room! One of the points of coming here is to get away from our everyday problems! We were supposed to look up at the Earth and remark how small it is, and that all our problems seem so tiny in the grand scheme of things, ’cause that’s the kind of symbolism you do with the moon!” “Except one of my problems is my friends keep making me come with them on adventures instead of letting me goof off and play games.” Revilo argued. “And I didn’t get away from THAT one, did I? ’Guess the moon ain’t so great after all.” “UGH! You two are selfish!” Ikik yelled as the others were just coming around the corner. “You’re just like all those pricks who take the moon for granted! You probably don’t appreciate anything you have!” “I appreciate my damn videogames and wanna get back to ’em!” “SCREW YOU! Go jump in the crater and suffocate!” Ikik stomped away, leaving a trail of deep prints. “Choke on your own food! And by the way, if I’m selfish, what about Ydnew?! She keeps making us do all this crap when we don’t want to!” “Yeah, and it’s a damn good thing I do.” Ydnew stated. “Frankly, I don’t care what your mother or whoever does, but those games of yours seem to make you just as angry. If you can’t even clear your mind here, then you’re just pathetic!” “Yeah, well it ain’t changing anytime soon, so you might as well warp us home.” “We’re not leaving until Ikik’s ready to leave, so complain all you want. Until then, go whine in a corner.” Ydnew and the others followed Ikik. The angry astronaut sat on the edge of the platform, pulling her arms out of the sleeves. She managed to grab a large burger in an interior pocket, munching it forcefully. This was a natural habit of hers when overcome with emotion. “Damn Revilo, fucking calling me fat, bringing his fucking attitude…” She complained while chewing. “WE’RE ON THE FUCKING MOON!” “Take it easy, Cowgirl.” Ydnew said. “You’ll choke on your food and there ain’t much air up here.” “I know…” Ikik sighed. “I just… I’m sick of him complaining all the time. I thought he would be able to relax on the moon of all places, but… I HATE Revilo!” “Ah, don’t listen to those jackoffs, Ikik.” Lihp said comfortingly, jumping on his friend’s helmet. “We’re having a great time! …HAH! His name is Revilo and he reviles everything!” “And I revile him, too.” “I’m having fun, too.” Oemor smiled, taking a seat by her. “So, don’t let it upset you. The moon really is pretty.” “Hmm…thanks.” Ikik smiled, crumbs around her mouth. Ydnew joined them on the cliff, the four gazing up at the Earth. “…Haha. We actually got into a fight on the moon.” Ikik recounted the silly idea. “No different from arguing in the living room or on the street. I guess the moon really isn’t that special.” “Of course it is, Ikik.” Ydnew replied. “The problem is… no matter how far we go, we just can’t escape our problems.” “I guess we can’t.” Ikik frowned. “But some people only care about their problems and those alone. Even if they’re important… does it really hurt to open your eyes to the universe around you? To appreciate everything else the universe offers you?” “Some people are just stubborn like that. But don’t worry… when we get home, I’m taking Revilo’s games and making him wash our clothes. Someone’s gotta get the moon dust off.” “Ikikikikikik!” Ikik laughed. “That’ll be nice~. …I’m about ready to go, come to think of it.” “You sure? We could look around more.” Oemor offered. “No, I have to use the bathroom and I don’t wanna go in the suit.” “Oh.” Their faces fell. As Revilo and Glasses Girl were coming around the tower, the latter had sensed the conversation with Observation Haki. “No matter how far we go, we can’t escape our problems…” “What?” Revilo asked. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud. …You know, Revilo, I think I can understand where Ikik was getting at.” “Ugh, are you serious?” “Well, your mom isn’t on the moon. She’s a million miles away, up on that little planet. Maybe that’s the kind of beauty Ikik was getting at.” Revilo looked up, glaring at the Earth. Somewhere on that miniscule-looking planet was the woman he hated seeing the most… “Hmph… on second thought, maybe I do like it up here. Too bad Nerehc doesn’t let us crash on the Moonbase.” “Indeed…” The planet seemed dark through Glasses’ double shades. “If only our problems could really be so small.” Ikik led the others back to the door of the strange building. “To commemorate our arrival… This was one small step for friends, but one big step for friendship!” With that, Ikik stomped the sand, Ydnew stomped at a perpendicular angle, and Oemor did the same, leaving their shoeprints. Lihp raised his foot and STOMPED, his terrific strength indenting a giant print. “HAH! My foot’s bigger than all yours!” “In your dreams, shorty!” Ydnew retorted. “…What about those two?” Revilo and Glasses retained their glares, while Ikik glared back. “…Gonna leave your shoeprints or not?” “They’re all around the building, anyway.” Revilo reminded, walking away. “It’s irrelevant.” Glasses said. The other four exchanged disappointed glances. With that, Ydnew warped them all back to the rocket and they made the flight home. Chapter 4: Home Visit Later that night, the Nega-MG members were chilling in the living room, except for Revilo and Glasses Girl, who were ordered to do chores. They were unable to enjoy the TV over the recurring sounds of toilet flushing. “Oh, fucking FINALLY!” they could hear Revilo exclaim. No sooner after did Revilo stomp up to the group. “IKIK, you clogged the toilet on purpose!!” “Why the HELL would I do that?!” “Because you knew Ydnew was gonna make me do the chores!” “That’s your own damn fault!” “Exactly my point! You did it on purpose all because I didn’t wanna go to the moon!” The argument went back and forth for a minute, much to the discomfort of their teammates. “Alright, that’s enough!” Ydnew yelled. “Revilo, just go to bed and finish your chores tomorrow. Same with the rest of you, it’s not like we’re doing anything.” Ikik retired to her room and put on her pajamas, simply a white T-shirt and gray pants. She heard a knock at her door and went to answer, seeing no one until she looked down at Lihp. “Hey, Ikik, you still have that bag of Broccoli Bits? Some of my fam’s still kinda hungry. …Including me.” “Sure, Lihp.” Ikik went to her pantry to pull down a bag of the veggies. “Hey, Lihp… what do you think about Revilo?” “He’s a dick who always complains about everything, what of it?” “I don’t know… for some reason, I feel bad about getting him punished.” “It wasn’t even your fault!” “But he’s always complaining about his mom. It’s annoying, but we honestly have no idea what his home life is like. What if she’s just as horrible as he keeps saying? I feel like… maybe I should try to understand him better.” “You’re wasting your time, sweetheart. Well, thanks for the bits.” Lihp lifted the bag and scampered back to his room. “Hmm…” Ikik narrowed her eyes and made a decision: “Maybe tomorrow, I’ll pay Mrs. Nosro a little visit. If she’s really that awful, I’ll give her a piece of my mind. And maybe my fists! After all, I heard Nega-JP did the same thing with Atnij’s dad, so why not?” The next day, Ikik asked Oemor if he knew Revilo’s address, and he gave her a quick answer, not questioning her intention as he was engaged to his book. With that, Ikik took the rocket and flew to Aeroville. She found the trailer park where Revilo resided, in particular the lonely trailer that sat near the edge of the park. Ikik could almost feel an ominous air as she approached the trailer. Regardless, she maintained a brave composure and knocked on the door. A woman answered the door. Her face was dreary from smoking, she wore a green top and white skirt, and socks. “Can I help you with something?” she asked in a halfhearted tone. “Are you… Mrs. Nosro.” “Yes. …Are you a friend of Revilo’s?” Ikik hesitated to answer, thinking she would be putting herself and Revilo in trouble. “Um…yes.” “What did he do this time?” “N-Nothing. He’s one of my best friends, so I just felt like visiting his home.” Ikik decided to lie, hoping to gauge a reaction. “Oh. Well, that’s good. Feel free to come inside if you like, but I don’t have much to offer.” Ikik accepted her offer and walked in. The trailer was just as shabby on the inside, and there was the smell of tobacco. She took a seat on the couch. “So, are you a friend from school or the DNK?” “The… DNK.” “I see. Honestly, ever since Revilo joined them, his performance in school has been worse than ever. He thinks he doesn’t need school if the DNK could give him real experience. It’s practically his home now. He rounded up all his games and brought them to his treehouse. Even if he’s right, I doubt he’s really learning a thing. After all, are your friends teaching him math, science, Hsilgne, and the like?” “I… sometimes teach him about space stuff. I’m an astronaut.” “Hm…then I guess he was right.” “What’s he like most of the time?” “Honestly, he can be quite a handful. I have a hard time dealing with him, and he terrifies everyone in the neighborhood. Every time I try to set him straight, he always fights back, and he goes and tells everyone I’m a bad person. I’m sure he’s told you the same things.” “Er…only once or twice.” “Sigh…tell me something, does he do a good job with his duties?” “Well, yes. He’s a great darknessbender and he’s won a lot of battles for us.” She hated to admit these facts, as much as she was sick of his complaints. Even pretending she liked him left a sour taste in her mouth. “That’s good to hear. I’ve been keeping up to date on the DNK’s accomplishments. I hoped that Revilo was taking part in all those amazing deeds.” “Oh, he is.” Ikik smiled. “We fought this giant lizard monster one time, and he seriously would’ve eaten us if Revilo hadn’t weakened him with his bending! Thanks to him, we were able to beat it! And there was this crazy waterbender who dressed like a spider with these mechanical legs and a giant tank of water. He tried to flood an entire town, but Revilo’s bending helped weaken his bending so we could beat him.” “That’s incredible.” Eilla smiled. “Maybe I was the one in the wrong. Who needs school when you already have the power to save the world?” “Are you proud of him?” “Of course I’m proud of him. But I don’t want him to think being in the DNK means nothing else matters.” “I bet it would mean a lot to him if you told him you were proud. Maybe he just feels like he doesn’t have your support.” “Hmm…I guess I do scold him a lot. Of course, it’s certainly not that I enjoy it. But if I want to get through to him, maybe I should try a different approach.” “I’m sure he would like that. …Anyway, it was great to visit you. I should probably head back now.” “Okay, thank you for the visit. Maybe sometime, Revilo could invite you all.” “That would be nice!” Ikik grinned. The astronaut left and returned to her rocket. As she made the flight back to the treehouse, a scowl crossed her features. … “YOU’RE A BIG LIAR!!” “EXCUSE me?!” Revilo shouted back. “All that crap you said about your mom is a big lie! She really cares about you and she’s proud of you for helping us!” “What-…” Revilo was taken aback, but his fury only grew. “YOU WENT TO MY HOUSE?!” “You kept complaining about your mom, so I wanted to see if she was as bad as you-” “YOU HAD NO BUSINESS DOING THAT! Who the HELL gave you permission to stick your ass in my personal life?!” “Why do you keep WHINING about your personal life?! She just wants you to focus on school more, I didn’t hear anything about ‘wishing you were never born’ or whatever! This whole time, you’ve just been exaggerating!” “Yeah, well I never asked for your damn opinion! She’s my mom, not yours, so I’ll decide what I fucking make of it!” “It’s not an opinion, it’s a damn FACT!” “I QUIT!” Revilo ripped off his wristwatch and threw it on the floor. “Sick of this damn sector, I’m joining someone else!” “Hold on a second, Revilo!” Ydnew stopped him. “Sigh…first of all… Ikik, you’re taking over Revilo’s chores. Get ’em done, and make sure to scrub the outside.” “WHAT?! The hell am I being punished for?!” “For going to Revilo’s house behind his back. Frankly, that was a dirty move, so get to work.” “But he’s been lying this whole time!” “That’s besides the point. Get to it.” “But, I…UGH!” Ikik stomped to the supply closet in a rage. “As for you, Revilo… please don’t leave our team.” “…Why’re you sticking up for me all of a sudden?” “Because I don’t agree with what Ikik did. Anyway, I know we give you a lot of trouble, Revilo, but I don’t want you to leave. You’re a valuable member of this team. That said, we would appreciate it if you could tone it down with the complaining.” “…Fine.” Revilo went to pick his communicator back up. “But I’m going home for a bit.” “Yeah, I’ll leave you to that. Sigh…I need a break, too.” Revilo would return to his trailer, taking only a DS with him. Eilla went a while without really saying anything, much to his confusion. In truth, she was trying to find the right way to begin a conversation. “So, Revilo… how is the DNK?” “It’s way more fun than here.” “Yes, I figured. …Revilo, do you want to go out to a restaurant?” “Why?” “I just think we should do something together. …And, maybe then, you could tell me about your adventures. I’d love to hear about them.” “…” Revilo mentally questioned her sudden interest. Yet, a small part of him hoped it was genuine. “Fine.” … Ydnew returned to her house in the mountains just the same. “Hello, Ydnew.” Itaav called from the kitchen, doing dishes. “How are things with your team?” “Terrible and annoying.” Ydnew fell back on the couch. “Well, I warned you about the responsibilities of leadership. There’s a lot of things you have to take into account, from your team’s abilities and personalities.” “Tell me about it. Between Oemor’s laziness, Revilo’s complaining, and Glasses Girl’s extra-laziness, I’ve got my hands full this week.” “Glasses Girl? I don’t think you’ve mentioned that one. Heheh, is that her name?” “I dunno what her name is, but she’s new. She’s been providing money for our sector, but she’s a total enigma.” “That’s interesting. Is she about your age?” “No, she’s -9. ’Course, she thinks she’s an adult.” “Negative…nine…” An odd thought was forming in Itaav’s mind. “Has she said where she’s from?” “Nope. She’s Mrs. Mysterious.” “What does she look like?” “Brown hair, two pairs of sunglasses… Heck, how does she even see like that?!” “Hmmm…” Suspicion growing strong, Itaav walked out of the kitchen. “Ydnew, would she look like this?” He opened a sketchbook. “Wh…” Ydnew sat up in shock: an accurate drawing of Glasses was seen in the book. “That… totally looks like her. But who… is she?” “She’s someone we’ve been tracking down for years. You see, she’s…” Chapter 5: Funding a War During a visit to Moonbase, Lihp encountered Eitra in the gym, and the boys got into a brawl that shook the whole gym. Despite their difference in size, Lihp proved to be quite the heavy hitter. Sadly, the tables turned when Eitra called his hamsters, easily pummeling Lihp when they were imbued with Haki. “Pay close attention, ladies and germs! This is why hamsters beat rats!” Eitra boasted. This touched a nerve inside Lihp. The next time he returned to the gym, he brought a small band of rats, taking over all the exercise equipment and attacking any operative that approached them. Eitra heard about this and returned with his hamsters, sending them to battle and detain Lihp’s rats. This officially began the Rodent War one year ago. Since then, Eitra asked Yrrah to make mini ships for his hamsters to pilot, and Lihp got Oemor to summon Flying Clams to carry his rats. They flew to each other’s treehouses to plot ambushes and traps. Both factions set up flyers at other treehouses, asking operatives to choose between rats or hamsters. Of course, they only thought it was a popularity poll, and they gave their vote, but didn’t contribute to the war beyond that. “And that, Glasses, is where you come in.” Lihp said to their new teammate after finishing his story. “…” Glasses tipped up her outer pair of shades and asked, “What did that have to do with anything?” “Eitra and all his hamsters are big bullies! We need to show them they ain’t as big as they think they are! And since you’re our new teammate, you’re entitled to help. Use your money to buy us some real equipment!” “No wonder Nerehc said you guys needed the money. I’m not going to waste money on your silly rivalry.” “Well, even if this was a rivalry, it’s up to teammates to contribute. It subtracts our team points and… junk! If we can take down Eitra’s hamsters, the fighting force of the DNK’s strongest sector, we’ll go up big time!” “Meh, fine. I’ll see what I can order.” Glasses Girl used her cellphone and ordered some rat-size camouflage suits. With these, the rats would infiltrate Nega-V Treehouse at nighttime. They also wore gas masks as they used miniature cans to spray a gas around. Only the hamsters would be able to breathe it, causing them to hallucinate that everything was food. The operatives would wake up with bite marks and many of their furniture bitten. Akurah used her bending to fix the hamsters, and Eitra was quick to suspect the rats. The following night, the hamsters planted a trail of small broccoli trees outside Nega-MG’s treehouse. The rats caught their scent and followed the trail (and eating it), only to end up being squished by a giant hammer trap. They survived, but the following day (the same day Glasses was asked to do chores alongside Revilo), Lihp asked Glasses to order the construction of a giant vacuum robot. The robot used its powerful vacuum to suck open the wall of Nega-V’s treehouse, exposing the hamsters, but they were already prepared with Vortex Bombs, shooting them into the mech and sucking itself up from the inside. The day after, Lihp asked her to order a Dog Nuke. A shell would be fired into Nega-V’s treehouse, exploding into a horde of dogs that would eat the hamsters- “Lihp, stop asking Glasses Girl to order stuff for you.” Ydnew ordered. “Come on, Ydnew, we’re so close to finally winning the-” “I SAID, STOP!” “I kind of already sent the order in.” Glasses mentioned. “It’ll be here in one minute.” “…Lihp, leave. Now.” Lihp, feeling that strictness in her tone, figured that Glasses was about to receive a scolding. “Well, can’t let that Dog Nuke go to waste.” That was his excuse to leave. Ydnew waited until he was gone before reaching her hand through a portal and shutting the door to the room. “Glasses… I need to ask you something.” Already feeling where this was going, she removed both pairs of shades. “Didn’t I say not to ask questions?” “It’s true, isn’t it? Your real name… is-” Glasses quickly drew a gun and trained it on her. “Think carefully before you say it.” “…What’s your deal here? Were you using us as a shelter? Did you threaten Nerehc into helping you hide? Were you planning to sabotage us if something went wrong?” “That’s neither here nor there. Of course, I don’t know what you’re assuming, but what gave you this idea, anyway?” She was speaking in a way that didn’t confirm anything, Ydnew could tell. “I was telling my dad about you, and my description resembled someone the Black Lotus had been searching for a while. He’s planning to call the Galactic Navy and set up an ambush. That is, assuming you are who he thinks you are.” “It’s pretty dumb to tell me that, if that were the case.” “Maybe now you’ll answer. What was this team to you? Were you going to sabotage us?” “If I decided I didn’t like this team, I would’ve snuck out at night or something when no one was looking… to avoid hurting your feelings. I had no intention of sabotage, but I have no sentimental feelings. Arguably, Revilo was the only one I enjoyed talking to. But you needn’t worry. I’ll take all my belongings and be out of here before you know it. Your friends won’t be involved or get in any trouble.” “But why choose the DNK to be your hideout? Why would Nerehc let you in here?” “My reason is similar to Revilo’s: I wanted to get away from my mother. Actually, more than that. …I was hoping the DNK would help me kill her.” “Kill… her?” “Nerehc is the only other one who knows. I promised him information. Our interests align, fortunately. Regardless, no reason to burden you, now that you know the truth. So, unless you’re going to try and capture me, just turn around and walk away. The rest will take care of itself.” “…” Ydnew did just that and left the room, using a portal rather than the door. As if on cue, Ydnew saw Lihp scamper up the hall, stopping before Ydnew. “Bad news, Ydnew!! Those dirty hamsters had a Rabbit Cannon ready! They totally intercepted our Dog Nuke, it was a massacre!! I need Glasses to order me something new!” “She’s gone, Lihp.” “W-What? I’ve only been gone for a minute or two, and you were just in there-” “She’s gone.” she said more strictly. “What the heck are you…” Lihp ran around her feet and pushed open the door. The room was… totally empty. No furniture, no possessions, no Glasses Girl. “What did you… talk to her about?” “She barely showed any interest or contribution to this team, so I convinced her to leave.” “Are you kidding?! She’s been helping me these past few days!” “And she barely sounded interested in that. It’s not like you were really close to her besides asking her for stuff.” “I know, but… well, we were planning to give her a present for all the help she gave us. Is she getting a sector transfer? Do you know where?” “…Let’s go get the others.” Ydnew said before walking away. “Huh?” Lihp scurried after. The others were in the living room, Oemor reading a book, Revilo gaming, and Ikik vacuuming up crumbs from under her chair (crumbs which she herself left). “IKIK! REVILO! Turn those off!” Revilo groaned in annoyance and paused his game. “What?!” “Something wrong?” Ikik asked. “Glasses Girl left. She decided this team wasn’t working out for her.” “She… left?” Revilo asked with disappointment. “Oh well.” Oemor shrugged. “She didn’t really do stuff with us much.” “Good riddance.” Ikik stated. “I just wanted to ask how you all felt about that. But if no one minds-” “Are you kidding?!” Revilo stood up in a rage. “I was starting to like her! She was fun to talk to, unlike you guys!” “She did say she enjoyed talking to you, too. Maybe she didn’t wanna burden you.” “Burden me with what?! Ydnew, what the hell happened?!” “…Well, I have no reason to keep it from you guys, so here’s the gist.” Ydnew told them what she learned from her father, and the answers she received from Glasses herself. Everyone’s reactions were the same: jaws dropped. “The heir to the Mushroom Mafia… was inside our treehouse?!” Oemor gasped. “We were harboring that dangerous a criminal?” Ikik asked, shuddering. “Yeah. It was probably a good thing she left when she did. After all, why should we all get in trouble for her sake?” “Then that equipment she bought for us… It was her mafia money.” Lihp realized. “And she was trying to… kill her mother?” Revilo asked. “Now that you guys, you won’t be curious and try to find her. But that’s all I wanted to tell you. You can get back to your stuff.” With that, Ydnew walked away. Oemor didn’t resume his book, Revilo didn’t unpause his game, and Ikik didn’t turn the vacuum back on. They were just… speechless. Chapter 6: The Heir The mountains around the treehouse were already being swarmed by galactic officers, no doubt called by Itaav as soon as he learned “Glasses Girl” was in the very same region as his home. Little did they know that Glasses was crawling through an underground tunnel dug by agents she had called in case this would happen. She also called ships belonging to the mafia to battle the officials. “Dammit!” cursed Einna, Itaav’s wife. “She’s definitely gonna try to escape in all this chaos!” “This only proves that it’s her.” Itaav said. “Luckily, we have the perfect tool.” After about an hour of crawling, Glasses exited the tunnel into a sewer, making her way through before climbing out of a hatch. “SISSYYYYY!” “?!” With panic in her eyes, Glasses turned to someone flying her way, their feet just inches above the ground. She was a girl with a fluffy gold beard, a straw hat with a blue ribbon, and a gray shirt with blue overalls. She laughed like a hillbilly, “Hyuk hyuk hyuk! Sissy, Ah missed you like Santa misses sunlight!” The girl latched onto Glasses like a magnet and hugged her tightly. “Grrrrr! Get OFF OF ME, Esiuol! Huh?!” The two were bound up to their necks in stone. “I’ve got them, Itaav!” declared Imorih Atoihs, the Black Lotus’s Earth Master. “Amazing job.” Itaav praised. “Goddaughter Airam Oiram. We’ve exhausted so many resources just to find you, and you decide to take up residence on my very mountain. In my own daughter’s treehouse, no less! If you did anything to hurt her, I swear-!” “That’s up to me, Dad.” claimed the voice of Ydnew. The group looked up as the spacebender in question levitated down. “Glasses Girl… or should I say, Airam. You thought you could escape from us that easily, did you? You think we’re going to just forgive you for lying to us? For using us?!” She stomped forward in a fury. “Stay away from her, Ydnew!” Itaav cautioned. “She’s too dangerous to approach, even when trapped!” “Shooks, Sissy, is that one o’ yer pardners?!” Esiuol asked. “Her hair is bluer than that big ol’ watery thingy what where all the salt is!” “Dad, she was one of my teammates. She’s not leaving without a well-deserved punishment!” And with a snap of her fingers, Ydnew warped herself and Glasses away. “YDNEW, NO!” yelled Itaav. “Esiuol, where did they go?! Can you feel her?” Esiuol’s beard seemed to point to her side. “Ah think she went thataway!” Ydnew warped them to the sewer a few blocks down. Their teammates were gathered as well. “Man, this smell is really killing my appetite.” Ikik said. “You seriously owe us for doing this!” “Yeah.” Ydnew replied with a stern look and folded arms. “I think you owe us a proper explanation, Glasses. We wanna hear the truth from your mouth.” “Feh. Fine, this will probably be the last time we meet, anyway. In case you didn’t hear Ghost Robes up there, my real name is Airam Oiram. My mother is Don Mushroom Shrew, the Godmother of the Mushroom Mafia. And my father is-” “Awful Oiram.” Oemor interrupted. “The evil protagonist of the Awful Oiram game series.” Don Shrew was infamous the universe over as the underworld ruler of Toadstool World. She was the center of a planet full of crime and darkness, who made billions by cultivating and selling drugs produced from the planet’s soil. She was the queen of all drug-dealers, and some believe she is the very core of all such deals. Even the drugs being sold by a petty man in a dark alley could be traced all the way back to the Mushroom Mafia. Beneath her was the Capo Bastone, Awful Oiram, who was once a terrible, powerful mercenary before marrying Don Shrew. Second to him was the Consigliere, his brother Igiul. They were so infamous that the game company, Odnetnin made a series based off of their exploits. “’Course, the drug-dealing isn’t their only source of income.” Oemor continued. “There’s also a pirate branch that hunts for treasures and raids ships. Because of that, Don Shrew is considered one of the Pirate Emperors.” “Yeah, my parents are the center of public attention.” Airam replied. “But the knowledge that they had children was kept under official wraps. My mom sent us away for our protection, and we’ve been jumping residences for nearly seven years. …Unfortunately, my sister’s a complete idiot who can’t keep her mouth shut and always blows our cover. Her name’s Esiuol, but we call her the Beard Kiddo, or ‘BK-o’ for short. My mom fed her a Magnet-Magnet Fruit so that she would always be able to find me if she got lost. I paid some of my guys to take her far away and drop her off, but it looks like she wound up in the government’s hands. Speaking of, I can feel them nearby. You should warp us somewhere else.” Ydnew warped them to another area of the sewer. “Can we at least go back to the treehouse?” Ikik moaned. “When I was little, my mom used her poisonbending to suck out my own Poison Chi. She thought I wouldn’t need it as long as I kept bodyguards with me. Luckily, I trained up my Observation Haki and marksmanship.” “I heard Don Shrew was the strongest poisonbender in the universe.” Ydnew said. “Is that why? Because she took your bending?” “And the reason you wanna kill her,” Revilo assumed, “is ’cause you’re mad at her for putting you through all this.” “Hit the nail square in the brain.” Airam affirmed. “When my mom dies, I’ll be the new Don. That’s why I came to the DNK. I snuck into the EiznekCm House at night and surprised Nerehc in his room. He was pretty sleepy, but he was awake enough to listen. At the moment, a dangerous crime lord like Don Shrew isn’t really a top priority, but in case she would pose a greater threat, he allowed me sanctuary in the DNK in exchange for intel. The only other catch was that I couldn’t call my soldatos (soldiers) to help us during missions, only use my money to provide for my sector. Still, it was slightly worrying to learn that the sector he chose belonged to the Black Lotus’s daughter. I think he did that on purpose in case I tried something.” “And if you become the Don, what then?” Ydnew asked. “In the process, I’ll hopefully get my poisonbending back, I’ll get all the power, and, well… live my life in luxury. I would’ve rewarded you, if that’s what you’re thinking. ’Course, I guess you won’t be helping, anymore.” “See, that’s what I’m confused about. You said you were going to use us to off your mother and take the throne, but how did you expect us to help if you wouldn’t even tell us? Heck, you’re running away because we found out who you are! Were you planning to just, like, get us to help you without us figuring out any real details?” “I was waiting to see if you were trustworthy and capable enough. Once I confirmed your competency, I would’ve changed sectors to study them.” “And yet, you didn’t go with us on any missions. You just kept to yourself and barely hung out with us unless we made you.” “My mistake, I guess. But now that you know the truth, what now?” “There’s no way we’re gonna help you with this!” Ikik argued. “You were already rude on the moon trip, I’m not getting myself in trouble with the law because of you!” “Yeah… this is kinda more than I bargained for.” Oemor replied. “I know I promised to get stronger, but…but this is too much. I feel like we only just got done with that Under Army business.” “The hell with you two then!” Revilo shouted. “We joined the DNK to fight evil adults, didn’t we?! Well, I say an evil mom like Don Shrew falls into that pay grade!” “I hate to say it, but I’m with Revile-o.” Lihp said. “Why’re you pronouncing it like that?!” “It was Ikik’s idea!” “As for me…” Ydnew began, “…I want to help Airam, too. …Except for the mother-killing part. One of the DNK’s rules is ‘No Killing unless absolutely necessary.’ Not just for the person’s sake, but for their Positive’s sake. But beyond that, it would make the universe a better place if a powerful criminal like that were removed from office.” “And what if Airam double-crosses us if she takes the throne?!” Ikik asked. “If she were that evil, she wouldn’t have run away when she knew the army was coming.” Ydnew looked down at Airam with a glare. “You left because you suspected I would try to protect you. And I would get in trouble as a result. Even when you were holding that gun to me… you had no intention of pulling the trigger.” Airam was silent for a moment, glaring up at her leader. Ydnew was tall, fearless, and proud, a model leader for any sector. She knew this much from her observations. “…It feels weird to say, but it felt fresh to be near associates on casual terms. Not knowing who I was. I think that’s another reason I kept the secret. You’d make a way better boss than my mom.” “I always was a rebel.” Ydnew smirked. Airam nearly cracked a smile. “…” She frowned again. “So, what’s your final decision? We only have about… 10 seconds.” Ydnew frowned and turned to Ikik and Oemor. “I guess we’ll see you guys later.” Within 10 seconds, the road was ripped open by Itaav’s matterbending. Oemor and Ikik were seen alone in the sewer. “You two?! Where’s my daughter? Where’s Airam?!” “Ooo, Ah know!” Esiuol yelled. “Maybe mah sister turned inta that li’l floatie stuff that goes ’n our mouths!” “You mean ‘air’?” Ikik asked. “Ydnew took Airam and warped.” Oemor answered. “I… have no idea where they went.” Itaav clenched his teeth and looked to the sky. “Commodore Gals!” Einna yelled to the Galactic Navy commander. “Tell your men to search everywhere! Go back to the treehouse, search the mountains!” “As you command, Lady Einna! Smooth Etep, call for Silver-Foot! More mafia goons are bound to appear!” “…Ydnew… you’re a strong leader after all…” Itaav sighed. Ydnew, Revilo, Lihp, and Airam reappeared somewhere miles away. “Listen, Airam… do you know about the Little Dad Mafia?” “Yes, they were always opposed to us. Even though they’re so much smaller, they’re strong.” “I have a few acquaintances up there. What are the chances they would be willing to help you?” “It would take a loooooooooot of persuading.” “You still have connections to your mafia.” Lihp noticed. “Do you have a secret residence planned?” “If your end goal is to dethrone your mom,” Revilo began, “how well would you be able to rely on them?” “I do have a residence planned, but… Revilo has a point. My own soldatos are ordered to report back to my mom, but they couldn’t monitor me in the treehouse, of course. If you think the Little Dads could aid us, Ydnew… I might be able to persuade them.” “Then let’s go. From now on, we’re your new soldatos!” Meeting Their Matches • Wendy/Ydnew – They would have a battle between airbending and spacebending, a sight one doesn’t get to see often. Since Space was stronger than Air, it was a great way for Wendy to train! • Romeo/Oemor – Romeo would wrestle Oemor to the ground like a playful big brother, forcing him to muster his strength if he wants his book back. • Kiki/Ikik – Kiki would try to shrink Ikik with magic in order to take her on a broom ride, but the chubby Negative was too strong and girthy for the magic to work. • Oliver/Revilo – Revilo hated how everyone in Ollie’s neighborhood adored him. To make up for this, Oliver visited Revilo’s hometown and used magic to destroy peoples’ houses. Admittedly, he enjoyed playing the bad guy role for a change. • Phil/Lihp – Lihp would steal Phil’s pills and keep them away until the Positive reverted back to mouse form. Afterwards, Lihp would eat a pill and become a very muscular human, mercilessly stomping the mouse Phil. Afterwards, he borrowed a few pills to use in his ongoing war with the hamsters. • Hat Kid/Glasses Girl – Hat Kid dressed like her opposite as they drove around town in a convertible and hit every restaurant for their cookies and cakes. • Mustache Girl/Beard Kiddo – Louise talks like a cowgirl and tries to have a back-and-forth with BK-o. Category:Newborn Era Category:Character Intros Category:Negaverse Stories